For the first time in his life he was seen striding about in handsome clothes: a gray suit made of English wool and English shoes too. As for his shirts and ties, Radiya had chosen them herself. For the first time too he used eau de cologne and shaved every day, and if he had not been too shy he would have dyed his hair. And again for the first time he took vitamins, and he looked after his health and cleanliness more than he had ever done in the past. He said to Radiya, “With you, my darling, I will begin a new life, new in the full sense of the word.” He kissed her and went on: “We shall have children…” He paused for a long while and then continued: “Nobody knows when his time will be up, but I come from a long-lived family. May God give us long life!”

Radiya kissed him and said, “My heart tells me we’ll have a happy future.”

“The heart of a believer is his guide! I’ve got enough faith to make up for a multitude of sins and I’ve served the state with enough devotion to atone for many transgressions; and when things have settled down, I will go on the pilgrimage to be reborn, soul and body.”

As for Qadriyya, she was steadily going downhill, and this relieved him altogether of responsibility for her. He was not without sympathy for her but he remained afraid of telling her about his second marriage.

He did not forget that he was approaching the end of his service with no real hope of attaining his life’s most treasured dream. But as the days went rapidly past, something unexpected took place. Abdullah Wajdi was appointed Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, so all of a sudden Othman saw the Director General’s post vacant in front of him. He closed his eyes and tried to master the beating of his heart. With the vacant post occupying the foreground, everything else in his life—his bride, his joys, his hopes—was consigned to oblivion. His suppressed ambition exploded and once again he worshipped in the sacred temple of advancement.

Radiya said to him, “Everybody is talking about you as the only candidate.”

“God grant our hopes come true,” he said piously, and went on in an air of genteel thanksgiving: “Isn’t life amazing? In just one moment it wipes away sorrows that the oceans themselves could not wash off. A kind mother, that’s what life is, though sometimes she treats us cruelly.”

Othman went without delay to the Foreign Office to congratulate Abdullah Wajdi. The latter welcomed him.

“Let me confess to you, Mr. Bayyumi, that I was doubly gratified,” he said courteously. “Once at my own appointment as Under Secretary, and once because I knew for sure you would replace me at the ministry.”